2016, the Year of the Widow, can you believe it?

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The so-called “silent year,” also known as the “blind spring” or “widow year,” is a year in the lunar calendar in which there is no occurrence of the beginning of spring; instead, the beginning of spring falls at the end of the twelfth lunar month of the previous year and at the beginning of the first lunar month of the following year. There are many theories regarding the period of widowhood, and one of the most common is that there is no spring in this period, making it unsuitable for marriage. Initially, such years were simply called “years without spring” or “lean years”. Later, based on the meaning of the character for “lean”, they were referred to as “widow years”, and thus the meaning of “widow” came into use. According to old traditions, spring is the season for sowing seeds and also a symbol of love between men and women. In years without spring, it is believed that one cannot experience romantic feelings, which is why it was said that it was not appropriate to get married in such years.